Pump n Jump

Really, the name says it all.  There are a lot of pumped up inflatables for the kids to jump in and get all their excessive energy out.  My children and I, went for the first time yesterday.  Our neighbour was taking her kids and had mentioned it to me, so we went along too.  To say that the Princess and the Little Professor thoroughly enjoy bouncy houses, would be an understatement.  We’ve been renting them for every birthday since they turned one, so getting to spend the day in a very large room with unlimited use of multiple bouncies was a dream come true.  Getting to experience it with friends was definitely the cherry on top.

                                   

I really wasn’t too sure what to expect.  I had read some reviews before hand and they were very mixed.  It’s always hard to get a good idea about a place from some of those websites.  I honestly never know if its some disgruntled employee when they’re bad, or the owner writing their own review when they’re exceptionally good.  I guess sometimes it’s better just to check it out for myself and I did, and I’m glad I did because we had a great time.  Actually, what I should say is, the kids had a great time and I was just happy I had good company to keep me sane.

There were 3 main issues I kept coming across in the reviews, customer service, cleanliness and the children’s experience, so I decided those were the things I wanted to check out.  The cost was very reasonable, $10 on a weekday and $11 on the weekend/holiday.  We were charged $11 even though it was Wednesday because it was school vacation week.  It seemed a little shady to me, but we don’t usually go to places like that during school vacation, so I’m not sure if that’s just something places do.  The extra $2 was completely worth the look on my kids faces.  They were ready to explode, they couldn’t get their shoes off fast enough!  They took off running and didn’t stop for at least an hour, maybe more, at which point we took a much needed break and headed to the food court for some pizza.  It wasn’t until we left JnP that I realized just how loud the place was, the mall was so calm and quiet and very inviting in comparison.

On our way back to the PnJ we stopped at a little water feature.  The kids wanted to throw pennies in and make some wishes, they were given two and playfully told to make their wishes wisely.  The Princess wished for a new princess dress with her first wish but her second wish was lost as she was distracted by a bird that had found it’s way into the mall.  The Little Professor’s first wish was quick and determined, then he sat by the water feature for a while really thinking what he wanted for his second.  He gently tossed in his remaining penny and skipped off.  I later asked what he had wished for and he said “My first wish was easy…it was for a Toy Story Train Lego set, but I wanted to make my second wish a good one, so I wished that I would never lie again”.  He certainly has a kind, loving spirit in him.  He tries so hard to live his life well and has a good sense of right and wrong.  I really love that about him!  It makes me so proud and quite frankly it makes me want to squeeze him – tight!  

     

The rest of the afternoon went by in a frenzied blur of kids rushing from one jumpy to the next.  We spent hours of keeping track of our energetic children as they slipped in and out of amusements.  There were a few bathroom emergencies, water breaks and a couple of melt downs.  All to be expected of course.  As the minor mishaps became more frequent and little faces were stained with tears from exhaustion, we decided it was time to go.  Our departure was met with feeble resistance as everyone held hands and we made our way out.

In the end, my concerns from the reviews I read were pointless.  The employees were friendly enough and seemed to do their job fine.  They weren’t overly helpful or didn’t appear to put in extra effort beyond their basic duties.  They were there to take home a paycheck and not much more.  I would think the noise of the place would be hard to deal with day in and day out.  They walked around constantly making sure kids were following the rules which were designed to keep them safe.  They were diligent in that.

As far as cleanliness goes…it’s a playground and just because it’s inside doesn’t make it any less of a playground.  The bathrooms were kept clean considering all the kids running in and out of them.  The wooden floor appeared to be washed.  The padded floor looked worn and walked on and the amusements looked as though a million kids had played in them.  Adults were walking on all the padding with shoes which is why children are suppose to be wearing socks.  I certainly wouldn’t want them to run around in bare feet.  I had read one review that stated ” I wouldn’t want to visit those people’s homes if they think this place is clean!!” however, most people do not have a playground frequented by thousands of kids in their house.  I think they do a fairly good job considering what it is.  Once we were home, I sent the kids up for a shower and put their clothes straight into the wash.

We will definitely keep it on the list of fun things to do!

 

 

 

 

 

One thought on “Pump n Jump

  • 19 April, 2012 at 10:11 am
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    Looks like the kids had a real good time! Love the photos too!

    Reply

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